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I was born and raised in Haifa, Israel. When my father received a fellowship as a guest scientist at the National Bureau of Standards in Washington, D.C. I followed him to D.C. and enrolled as an undergraduate student at the University of Maryland studying graphic design.

By the time I graduated, I knew I wanted to further pursue the arts. I applied and was accepted to NYU to pursue my Master of Fine Arts, but my father told me he would not pay for my graduate education because it was not in a professional field. Unfazed, I decided to go to graduate school and to find ways to support myself. As I developed my art in school, I began to experiment with making jewelry that I would sell at craft fairs throughout the city. In this way, I managed to create a small income for myself.

By the time I graduated, I had developed a legitimate small business. I also realized that I enjoyed my jewelry making as much as the fine arts. As my family grew and my husband and I set about raising our three children, my art fell by the wayside and my jewelry business took off. It’s been an amazing ride, and I am thrilled to report that now that my kids are grown I have had the opportunity to return to my artistic endeavors while maintaining my design and business projects, too! To check out some of my art: http://www.michalgolan.com/art.html

For more information, please visit michalgolan.com

Today’s Brilliance from Michal Golan

Like pursuing a career in the arts, building a small business is both incredibly rewarding and utterly terrifying. There are no next paychecks, severance packages, or safety nets for those of us who choose to go at it in the world of art or entrepreneurship. Everything is uncertain. At the end of the day, I wouldn't trade this uncertainty for anything—the lessons I've picked up coping with it have helped me become a more peaceful and adaptable person in every sphere of my life. Whether you are working on an artist commune, on Wall Street, or anywhere in between, these…

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